- What is the Democracy Awards program?
- Why did CMF create the Democracy Awards?
- What are the categories?
- What are the criteria for the awards?
- How were the award categories and criteria developed?
- How can my office become eligible for an award?
- What is the deadline to apply?
- May my office apply for more than one award?
- May I apply for the same category as the previous year?
- Who can apply?
- How many awards will be given?
- When will the awards be decided?
- How are the winners chosen?
- What is the Bridge Alliance's role in the Democracy Awards?
What is the Democracy Awards Program?
The Democracy Award Program was created by the Congressional Management Foundation to recognize non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices and by Members of Congress in four categories.
Why did CMF create the Democracy Awards?
CMF recognizes that most Members of Congress and their staff are hard at work for their constituents and the country. Many are using best business practices and innovative approaches to enhance their performance. But this is not the Congress that the public sees. And there is currently no vehicle to highlight and disseminate best practices to the public or among congressional offices.
By creating an awards system, the Democracy Awards will accomplish the following goals:
- Recognize and applaud legislators and staff who truly deserve acknowledgment for their excellent practices in the service of the Congress and their constituents.
- Provide examples for congressional colleagues to emulate, thereby enhancing the entire institution.
- Enhance and improve public understanding and trust in Congress – if only a tiny bit, demonstrating that Congress can work.
What are the categories?
- Constituent Service – Recognizes offices for their outstanding practices or achievements acting as ombudsmen with the federal government or assisting constituents through service or casework.
- "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment – Highlights offices that have established both formal policies and informal cultures that enhance the work-life fit and professional development of their staffs.
- Transparency and Accountability– Recognizes offices that hold themselves accountable to their constituents by providing clear and relevant information on their work, and publicly acknowledge metrics for their performance.
- Innovation and Modernization - Recognizes offices employing innovation or creativity in their constituent interactions, communications, or office operations, as well as intentional efforts to modernize the institution of Congress.
- Lifetime Achievement – Singles out two Members (one Democrat and one Republican) and one congressional staffer for their lifetime of service to Congress.
What are the criteria for the awards?
Constituent Service
This award focuses on how an office interacts with, assists, and works on behalf of its constituents. We expect to see that an office demonstrates excellence through specific practices that are thoroughly rooted in the office's values and incorporated into the office's work, including specific, methodical, and consistent processes for achieving measurable results in constituent service. Please note: this award is independent of legislative achievements, and emphasis is on effectiveness not efficiency (e.g., use of, and adherence to, metrics for outcomes rather than simply measuring the time it takes to resolve a constituent case request or respond to an email).
For example:
- Impressive mail quality, established workflow, and efficient turnaround times
- Effectiveness in the office acting as ombudsman for constituents with federal agencies (casework)
- Responsiveness in constituent meetings, events, and field work
- Whether the office has implemented processes or tools which have resulted in improved timeliness, cost savings, and constituent satisfaction such as manuals, handbooks, and guides
- Effective online, social media, and/or in-person and/or telephone town hall meetings geared toward assisting constituents, especially in times of disaster/crisis/global pandemic
- Celebrating successes regarding constituent casework and staff interactions
- Hiring staffers skills to the needs of constituents in order to bridge communication barriers
- Going "above and beyond" to support constituent needs and actively represent the district/state while in Washington, DC
"Life in Congress" Workplace Environment
This award focuses on how an office treats its employees. We will seek information describing how office management empowers employees; demonstrates flexibility in workplace rules; consistently uses core values to guide decisions, behaviors and communications; encourages staff professional development and achievement; and regularly engages in performance management practices. We would expect to see that an office has created policies and a culture through specific practices that are thoroughly integrated into the office's work. For example:
- A performance management system that provides employees with continual feedback and metrics on performance
- Offering modern and creative work-flex policies (e.g., telework, job sharing, and flex work hours)
- A culture of staff professional development
- Holding staff accountable to office mission and values
- Fostering inclusivity in the office, including hiring staff representative of the district/state
- Supporting staff and intern professional development of interns
- Thoughtful and effective employee recruitment and retention strategies
- Involvement of the Senator/Representative in employee interactions and projects
Transparency and Accountability
The focus for this award is how the office integrates and respects the concepts of transparency and accountability in government. We would expect to see that an office demonstrates transparency through regular, meaningful, and robust communications to constituents and stakeholders that are designed to keep them informed of the Member's activities and actions in Congress. Additionally, offices would be expected to hold themselves accountable to their constituents by consistently following office protocols and sharing as much information with constituents as is necessary to demonstrate clarity in the Member's activities and goals. For example:
- Consistently updating the Member's website and social media platforms with relevant information related to the legislator's legislative and representational responsibilities, as well as pertinent information regarding safety and testing re: COVID-19
- Publicly sharing vote explanations, position statements, schedules, and meetings with constituents on a variety of platforms
- Providing numerous opportunities to interact directly with the legislator at town halls, telephone town halls, social media platforms, summits, and district/state office hours
- General responsiveness to legitimate constituent inquiries
- Holding office and staff accountable by adhering to performance standards
- Quality, amount, and variety (online, in-person, telephone) of town hall meetings
Innovation and Modernization
This award focuses on how a congressional office uses creativity and an eye toward the future to better facilitate the Member's roles as legislator, representative, and manager, or can encompass the work a Member does to improve the institution of Congress. This can be demonstrated either by example or by proposing innovations and modernization of the institution. This can include website improvements, social media, and interactive communications tools to enhance office productivity, institution-wide efficiency measures, and conscious efforts to bring Congress into the 21st century. We expect to see that an office demonstrates innovation and modernization through specific practices that are thoroughly integrated either into the individual office's work or work on behalf of Congress overall. For example:
- Constituent feedback and interaction
- Office efficiency measures
- Workplace flexibility
- Legislative research
- Committee work
- Member briefings/information-sharing
- Staff management and communication
- Member and staff mobility and effectiveness
Lifetime Achievement
CMF recognizes two Members of Congress (one Democrat and one Republican) who have had long, respected careers in the Congress and who have had positive impacts on the management and operations of part or all of the institution.
Additionally, CMF accepts nominations for the Staff Lifetime Achievement Democracy Award. All current legislative branch staffers working in Congress are eligible for the this award. This includes staffers who work in personal, committee, leadership, and institutional offices (e.g., House Chief Administrative Office, Secretary of the Senate, Library of Congress, etc.) Former staff members will not be considered for this award unless they were employed by the institution at the time of their nomination.
How were the award categories and criteria developed?
CMF has developed categories and criteria for the awards over the last five years with input from former Members of Congress, current and former congressional staff, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
How can my office become eligible for an award?
Offices are invited to self-nominate for the Democracy Awards for Innovation and Modernization, Transparency and Accountability, Constituent Service, and "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment. (Note: Winners cannot win in the same category in consecutive years.) Offices can nominate other Members of Congress and staffers for Lifetime Achievement, but cannot self-nominate.
What is the deadline to apply?
The nomination period for the 2022 Democracy Awards opened on November 22, 2021 and will close on February 28, 2022.
May my office apply for more than one award?
Yes!
May I apply for the same category as the previous year?
Democracy Award winners may not win for the same category but they can nominate themselves in other categories. Finalists and all other offices may re-apply to the same category (or to multiple categories, if they choose).
Who can apply?
The personal office of any Representative, Senator, Delegate or Commissioner may apply for the four office categories.
Nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award may be made by anyone working for the institution of Congress. Offices can nominate other Members of Congress and staffers for Lifetime Achievement, but cannot self-nominate. Any current Member or legislative branch staffer, including those who work for committees, leadership or institutional offices (e.g., House Chief Administrative Office, Secretary of the Senate, Library of Congress, etc.) is eligible.
How many awards will be given?
We will give two awards per category – one Republican and one Democrat – in each category.
When will the awards be decided?
The Democracy Awards winners for the four office categories will be announced in Summer 2022. Winners will be recognized in an in-person ceremony in Fall 2022.
How are the winners chosen?
Representative and Senate personal offices nominate themselves for Democracy Awards using an online questionnaire for the four office categories. For the Lifetime Achievement award, current congressional staff may nominate other current Members of Congress and Legislative Branch staffers for recognition. The Congressional Management Foundation follows up with applicants to conduct interviews with staff and assess the office's adherence to the established criteria using a detailed checklist. Following this step, CMF staff selects nominees and asks these offices to submit additional documentation to support their applications in each category.
Once these materials are gathered, an expert committee comprised primarily of former Members of Congress and former congressional staffers (representing both parties and chambers) will select two winners (one Republican and one Democrat) from each of the categories using the application, interview notes, and supporting documentation provided by the office.
What is the Bridge Alliance's role in the Democracy Awards?
The Bridge Alliance is the Founding Partner for the Democracy Awards. Bridge Alliance is a diverse coalition of more than 90 organizations committed to revitalizing democratic practice in America.
